Being a utilitarian , Singer’s position is one that seeks to maximize satisfaction of interests whether they are of humans or animals. ... Tom Regan on the other hand adopts a deontological rights position which is the view that animals, like men are “ends in themselves” and therefore ought not to be exploited.
Is Tom Regan a Kantian?
In “The Case for Animal Rights,” Tom Regan takes a Kantian approach and believes that like humans, animals should be treated as ends-in-themselves. ... Regan argues that because animals have an inherent value, they shouldn’t be used in order to benefit human lives.
What type of utilitarian is Peter Singer?
For most of his career, he was a preference utilitarian, but he stated in The Point of View of the Universe (2014), coauthored with Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek, that he had become a hedonistic utilitarian .
What does Tom Regan argue?
Tom Regan argues that human beings and some non-human animals have moral rights because they are “subjects of lives,” that is, roughly, conscious, sentient beings with an experiential welfare.
Why does Tom Regan reject utilitarianism?
Unlike Singer, Regan argues against a utilitarianism perspective when considering animal equality . Utilitarianism has no room for the equal rights of different individuals because it has no room for their equal inherent value.
What is the difference between Peter Singer and Tom Regan?
In fact, Peter Singer likened the tyranny on animals with that of white humans over black humans. ... Tom Regan on the other hand adopts a deontological rights position which is the view that animals, like men are “ends in themselves” and therefore ought not to be exploited. Animals and humans have equal rights.
What is Tom Regan’s criticism of utilitarianism?
Abstract According to Regan, classical utilitarians value individuals in the wrong way: rather than valuing them directly, the utilitarians must value individuals merely as receptacles of what is valuable (i.e. pleasure). I demonstrate that Regan’s argument is ineffective .
What does Tom Regan say about animal rights?
The Case for Animal Rights is a 1983 book by the American philosopher Tom Regan, in which the author argues that at least some kinds of non-human animals have moral rights because they are the “subjects-of-a-life ,” and that these rights adhere to them whether or not they are recognized.
Was Tom Regan a vegetarian?
Tom Regan became a lacto-ovo-vegetarian in the summer of 1972 and transitioned to being a complete vegan shortly thereafter. During his time working as a butcher in his college years, Regan never saw the negative impact of his lifestyle.
What is the source of inherent value for a being?
The intrinsic value of a human, or any other sentient animal, is value which originates within itself , the value it confers on itself by desiring its own lived experience as an end in itself. Intrinsic value exists wherever self-valuing beings exist.
Is Kant a utilitarian?
Kant’s theory would not have been utilitarian or consequentialist even if his practical recommendations coincided with utilitarian commands: Kant’s theory of value is essentially anti-utilitarian; there is no place for rational contradiction as the source of moral imperatives in utilitarianism; Kant would reject the ...
Why is Peter Singer a utilitarian?
Singer is the most famous and influential contemporary utilitarian philosopher. Singer is best known for his views on animal ethics . ... He argues for the equal consideration of human and non-human animal interests because animals have the capacity for suffering and enjoyment.
What utilitarianism means?
Utilitarianism is a theory of morality that advocates actions that foster happiness or pleasure and oppose actions that cause unhappiness or harm . When directed toward making social, economic, or political decisions, a utilitarian philosophy would aim for the betterment of society as a whole.
Is Tom Regan vegan?
As a stalwart vegan and activist, his contribution will be greatly missed. The Vegan, Winter 2006, Archive. Tom Regan is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at North Carolina State University. He is also an uncompromising ‘Animal Rights Advocate’ (ARA).
What is a Kantian argument?
Kant began his ethical theory by arguing that the only virtue that can be unqualifiedly good is a good will . No other virtue has this status because every other virtue can be used to achieve immoral ends (the virtue of loyalty is not good if one is loyal to an evil person, for example).
Why is Tom Regan important?
Tom Regan, an American moral philosopher known for his groundbreaking work in the study of animal rights , died of pneumonia Friday, Feb. ... Though he wrote many books and papers, his most notable work was “The Case for Animal Rights,” published in 1983 near the beginning of the modern animal movement.
